Disable or enable the public folder for Dropbox Business team members

The Public folder used to be the only folder in Dropbox accounts where people could share content with anyone. Files placed in the Public folder generated a link that could then be shared with anyone who had access to the link.

New Dropbox accounts created after October 4, 2012 no longer include an automatically enabled Public folder because users can now share links to any piece of content from any place in their Dropbox by using shared links.

Any of the three admin tiers (team admin, user management admin, or support admin) can disable or enable their team’s Public folder.

For admins

Should I disable or enable my team’s Public folder?

Soon, you will be able to track all sharing activities though the activity log. However, sharing events that occur in the Public folder are not recorded in this log.

You should disable the Public folder if you prefer to have full visibility into your team’s sharing activities. Disabling Public folders will break the link that’s used to share those files, but it will not actually delete any of the files.

If your team is not ready to migrate to shared links, you can keep the Public folder enabled. As a best practice, we recommend that all teams eventually move to shared links, as it’s an easier way to share files.

After you’ve decided what’s best for your team, you can take action here.

If I disable my team’s Public folder, how do I replace the functionality of the Public folder?

If team members want to share files that have been in their Public folder, they can always move them to another location in their Dropbox and share links to them again (subject to the sharing permissions you’ve set).

For users

I use the Public folder, and I transferred my account to a Dropbox Business team. What should I do if they don’t allow Public folders?

It’s up to the admin whether Public folders should be enabled or disabled for the team. If your admin doesn’t wish to enable them for the entire team, then the best option is to switch to shared links instead.

If creating shared links isn’t an option, then you may want to transfer your account off of the Dropbox Business team. Reach out to your Admin and ask them to contact our support team for more info.